


Try To Be An Adult

by marksdolphin



Category: Take That (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-30 00:59:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5144471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marksdolphin/pseuds/marksdolphin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Take That doesn't exist, and neither Gary nor Mark pursue a musical career. Both are teenagers of 16 and 17 years of age.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Try To Be An Adult

Gary hated his job. He had just left school and getting a job was difficult, he understood that and he was grateful. But at 17 years of age with a budding music career ahead of him, he'd much rather be sat in his personal studio next to his bed writing a song. Unfortunately for him, his family had other ideas. They'd told him he had to start paying his way now he'd finished school and that, of course, meant getting a job. 

 

He didn't mind working in a coffee shop, it had its perks. Like free coffee on mornings where he'd only just managed to drag himself out of bed, and the cute guy who came in just after his shift started every morning. Yes, he was definitely a plus. 

 

A short brunette who was definitely younger than Gary, but not by much, struggled in through the door. It was 6am and Gary had only just put up the open sign when the boy dragged his bags into the shop. "Black?" Gary asked, not that he had to. He knew the boy's exact order by now and he could only wish he knew more. Luckily, on Tuesday mornings said boy was usually the only customer. And, because of that, Gary had finally been trusted to run the shop on his own for a few hours. He wasn't sure when he'd get this opportunity again, so he took it.

 

"Take a seat, I'll be over in a minute," Gary started making the coffee, not facing the boy so he could prepare some sort of conversation topic between to two of them. 

 

"Here you go," Gary put the cup down on the table in front of him and the brunette smiled gratefully before practically forcing himself to take a sip. Gary watched as he screwed his face up whilst he drank it, just like he did every morning. 

 

"Do you like it?" He asked finally, having really wondered that for the past 3 months since he'd worked there and first laid eyes on the boy.

 

"Hm? Yeah, it's nice, thank you!" He put on an over-enthusiastic smile, convincing Gary there and then that he hates it. 

 

"Why do you drink it if you like it? Are you trying to look older than 12 or something?" Gary laughed, somehow feeling comfortable enough to make the comment, despite his nerves. 

 

"What? I'm 16, not 12!" Gary smiled smugly at the boy's defence, but also at his age. They were almost the same age. 

 

"OK, then, whatever you say," Gary crossed his arms across his chest and giggled at the boy who, honestly, did not look his age. 

 

"And how old are you? About 25, I bet," Mark tried to take another sip of the liquid, fighting every urge that ran through him to spit it out. 

 

"17," Gary answered, before realising his answer was far too vague and didn't really allow for the conversation to go anywhere else. "17, and the name's Gary," he held out his hand for the other boy to shake, praying he'd accept and wouldn't laugh at him for some reason. 

 

"Mark," he smiled politely, accepting the offer of a hand shake. A thought suddenly occurred to Gary at that moment, and he realised the question he'd originally asked the stranger, now known as Mark, never received an answer. 

 

"You didn't answer my question. Why do you drink it?" Gary asked, gesturing to the cup of coffee resting between Mark's hands. 

 

"Because, maybe then people will think I'm older than I look, but that clearly isn't working!" Mark shook his head and leant back in his chair, he pushed the cup lightly out of his hands and crossed his arms across his chest, just as the bell rang to signal that there was another customer. 

 

"Well next time order what you like, I'll make sure nobody gets your age wrong," Gary picked up the cup and left Mark with a wink, walking over to serve the new customer. 

 

Next time.


End file.
